Reducing-wheel.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATBNTED JAN. l5, 1907.

F. L. WOLFE.

REDUGING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED H1127, 1905.

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FRANK L. WOLFE, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROSBY STEAM GAGEAND VALVE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

REDUClNG-WHEEL.

Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

Application filed February 27,1905. Serial 170,247,472;

T0 a/ZZ whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK L. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReducing-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in reducing-wheels for steam-engineindicators; and its object is to provide for stopping the indicator-drumfor the purpose of changing cards or charts without stopping thecordpulley of the reducing-wheel and without producing slackness in thecord of the cordpulley or that of the indicator-drum. Any slackeningofthese cords produces trouble by causing them to become entangled orbreak.

Another object is to remove all the strain and jar incident t-o suchstopping from the indicator-drum by confining the operating mechanism tothe reducing-wheel itself. This I accomplish by means of a clutchinterposed between the two pulleys-namely, the cord-pulley and thestroke-pulley. .I have already invented a clutch for that purpose andfiled an application for Letters Patent therefor February 15, 1904,Serial No. 193,759, which application has since been allowed, and myinvention is to some extent an improvement on that one. In the presentcase I provide particularly for stopping the indicator-drum at theoutward end of the stroke of the piston of the steam-engine.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of the machine,showing the steam-engine indicator and indicator-drum in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9,10, and 11 are det-ail views of the clutch mechanism.

1 is a supporting-arm furnished with the bushing 2, to which is attachedthe indicator 3, and the coupling 4 by which it is attached to thecylinder of a steam-engine. Extending through the outer end of thesupportingarm 1 is the shaft 5, having mounted on its inner end thebevel-gear 6. This shaft 5 is mounted in a cylindrical case 7, which isiixed to the sup porting-arm 1. Within this case 7 is a spring 8, oneend of which is fixed to said case and the other end of which is fixedto said shaft 5. Fixed to the outer end of said supporting-arm 1 is asecond shaft 9, over which fits the sleeve 10, carrying at its inner endthe pinion 11 and having mounted upon it thecord-pulley 12, to which isattached the cord 13. These parts are fully described in the patentissued to me for a Hsupport for reducing-wheels December 24, 1901, N0.689,528.

The action of the reducing motion is as follows: The outer end of thecord 13 is fastened to the cross-head of a steam-engine. As the cord isdrawn by the movement of the cross-head from the cord-pulley 12 thispulley rotates, and with itrotates the pinion 11 and the bevel-gear 6against the action of the spring 8. Upon the return motion of thecross-head the spring 8 recoils, thus keeping the cord 13 always taut. l14 is the indicatordrum, which is rotated against spring action by meansof the cord 15, fastened thereto, passing over the guideulleys 16 andattached to the stroke-'pnl ey 17. Heretofore this stroke-pulley 17 hasbeen fixed .to the bevel-gear 6, so that it moved when and as saidbevel-gear moved, imparting its movement to the indicator-drum 14. Toprevent this transmission of the motion of the cordpulley 12 to thestroke-pulley 17 and thence to the indicator-drum 14, I interposebetween the bevel-gear 6 and the stroke-pulley 17 a clutch whichconstitutes my invention.

The clutch device is described as follows: To the outer face of thebevel-gear 6 is 'secured the plate 18 by screws 19, Fig. 3, carrying thethreaded shaft 20, and to the outer 21, Fig. 3, extending beyond theouter face of said plate 18. This constitutes one member of the clutch.The threaded hub 22, which constitutes the other member of the clutch,engages the threaded shaft 20. Upon this hub is fixed the ratchet 23,having upon its inner face the stop 24, Fig. 4, and springbuffer 25, Fi4. Upon this hub 22 is also fixed the stro ie-pulley shaft 26, carryingthe stroke-pulley 17. To the supporting-arm 1 is vaffixed the pawl 27 bythe pivot 39 and also afiixed the s ring 28.

The clutcii operates as follows: Normally the hub 22 is screwed upon theshaft 20 until thestop 24 rests against the post 21. The

90... face of the bevel-gear 6 is also fixed the post f IOO cord 13 isfastened to the cross-head of av steam-engine and the cord 15 to theindicator-drum 14. lThese cords are taut. The pawl 27 is out ofengagement with the ratchet 23, and the reducing-wheel acts as abovedescribed. To stop the rotation of the ratchet 23, the operator engagesit vwith the pawl 27, which prevents further movement in the directionindicated by the arrow, Fig. 3, but permits motion in the oppositedirection, so that before coming to a full stop the ratchet 23 will becarried by the stop 24 to the end of the outward stroke. When the ,pawlis disengaged from the ratchet, the hub 22, actuated by the tension ofthe indicatordrum spring, will resume its position with the post 21 incontact with the stop 2,4, and the original motion will be continued.The

- spring 28 serves to hold the pawl in or out of engagement with theratchet, as the case maybe.

The drawings show certain modifications of my invention. l Fi 6 showsthe fixed member of the clutci with a spiral groove 29 on its outerface, while the other member 40 of the clutch,

Fig. 7, is furnished with an arm 30, pivoted at 31 and having the lug 32adapted to en-A gage the groove 29. In this arrangement the two memberswill move together whenever the luv 32 is at theinner end of the groove29, tthis contact being similar to that of post 21 and stop 24, as abovedescribed,

"and as long as the pawl 42, pivoted to the supporting-arm at 43, doesnot engage the ratchet 44. The groove '29 is made of suilicient lengthto provide for the extreme stroke of-a piston. Fig. 5 is a sectionalview showsing the parts of this modified form held in position by theplate 41 and showing the ratchet 44 and stroke-pulley 17 attached.

'Another modification is making this groove as shown in Fig. 9, groove33, and making a radial groove 34, Fig. 10, in the other member of theclutch, with a ball 35 adapted to travel in said grooves. In thisarrangement when the balI is at the inner end of the grooves the membersof the clutch will move together as long as the pawl is out ofenga`gement with the ratchet. Fig. 11 is a fsectional view of Figs. 9and 10 as they appear` ing-arm' 1 by the screw 45 and in operation actsupon the outer member ofthe clutch asA a brake.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure bylLetters Patent, is-

1. -In a reducing-wheel as described, a stroke-pulley shaft and arrangedthereon a clutch comprising two members, one member being fixed to saidshaft and having a spirallygrooved face and an axis, the second memberbeing rotatable on said axis and having a radial groove, a ball adaptedto engage said rooves, together with independent means 'or holding saidsecond member in a xed position at a certain part of the stroke 3substantially as described.

2. In a reducing-wheel as described, a stroke-pulley shaft and arrangedthereon a clutch comprising two members, one member being fixed to saidshaft and the other member having a limited rotatability upon the firstmember, together with means, which, when operated at any part ofastroke, automatically serve to stop the said second member at a certainpart of the stroke; substantially as described. l

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of'twowitnesses.

FRANK L. WOLFE.

Witnesses: K

RALPH W. FosTER, EDWARD C. BAKER.

